Thiago Motta said Juventus' Champions League defeat against Stuttgart was in the past, as he eyes a win against Inter, a side he classed as "favourites" for the title. (More Football News)
The Bianconeri meet Simone Inzaghi’s side in the Derby d’Italia at the San Siro on Sunday, knowing a win will put them above Inter in the standings.
Juventus are the only unbeaten team (W4 D4) after the opening eight games of a Serie A season for the first time since 2019-20, and are without defeat in six of the last seven matches played against Inter.
Inter finished 23 points above Juventus last season, and although they’re within touching distance in the table, Motta insists there’s still a gap separating the two sides.
"It’s clear that the favourites to win the league are Napoli and Inter, they have won the last two Scudetti," Motta said.
"Tomorrow, we have to face Inter with focus and courage."
“They are a team that plays really good football, they created problems for many sides on the counter-attack.
“They’re a very dangerous side, they regroup quickly, when they get attacked they have a good defensive phase and are also very fast up front, we need to be careful.”
But Motta comes into the encounter on the back of his first defeat since his arrival at Juventus, with El Bilal Toure netting a late winner for Stuttgart.
Juventus had just one shot on target against the Bundesliga side, their fewest in a Champions League game since against Chelsea in September 2021 (also one).
However, Motta was not concerned about his side's showing, saying the defeat was firmly in his players' rearview mirror.
"There’s no need to work on mentality, the guys are in good shape. Understandably, in an historic team like ours, the expectations are extremely high," Motta said.
"It's the first defeat that's happened this season. Even when we win, we move on just the same.
"There’s no time to celebrate or dwell on a victory. The past is in the past; Stuttgart is behind us, and now we’re going to play Inter."
